Dana Brooke, who was released by WWE in September 2023, made her TNA debut as Ash By Elegance at the Hard to Kill pay-per-view event on January 14, 2024. Brooke was seen during the Knockouts Division title match between Jordynne Grace and former WWE superstar Naomi.
She was released from WWE as a part of talent cuts along with Dolph Ziggler, who also made his debut to TNA at the Hard to Kill pay-per-view. Recently on a interview Brooke revealed the real reason behind her WWE departure, which came as a surprise to many fans and even some WWE officials.
Dana Brooke explains WWE’s real reason for releasing her
On a interview in the Busted Open Radio, Brooke revealed the reason, why WWE released her. Brooke said, “I honestly think they didn’t believe in me. You know, producers, T.J. [Wilson] was a very big advocate for me and he would always be like, ‘Dana can do it, Dana can do it, Dana can do it’ and it just — it wasn’t happening and I wasn’t that girl. I wasn’t the girl that they were trying to push to that next level.”
Brooke also revealed that WWE refused her from doing a stunt at the Money in the Bank match in 2018. She had an idea for the match where she wanted to hang from the briefcase, swing from it, and then fall into a pile of girls catching her. However, WWE didn’t allow her to perform this stunt, deeming it too dangerous.
She expressed her disappointment, feeling that her full potential wasn’t being utilized. Despite having numerous ideas and plans for her character, she mentioned that WWE management never provided the opportunity to bring them to action.
Why did Dana Brooke join TNA as Ash By Elegance?
During her appearance in the TNA, the commentators mentioned Dana Brooke as Ash By Elegance and also as the newest member of the Knockouts division. On the same interview Brooke opened up about her new gimmick. Brooke mentioned that she had a plan to make her WWE return as Ash By Elegance, but the WWE didn’t give her enough chances to show what she was really capable of.
She said, “So Ash by Elegance is a different side of me, but I try and live my life every single day as being super elegant. Elegant is a word — but I feel like it has a variety and many multiple meanings of it. It’s classiness, it’s elegance, it’s beautiful, it just means so much that I’m definitely going to bring that element into the ring and show everyone what class and elegance truly means.”
Brooke signed with WWE in 2013 and made her debut in the NXT roster, forming an alliance with Emma. She moved to SmackDown in 2019, engaging in a rivalry with Bayley and Sasha Banks while teaming up with Tamina.
Her return to NXT in 2023 aimed at challenging the NXT Women’s Champion, but she was released within two months of her comeback. Now, with her new identity, Brooke is set to unveil a unique side of herself in TNA, bringing elegance, beauty, and skill to the ring.
